Electroluminescent displays, such as lighted signs, may be created from electroluminescent panels that emit light from an electroluminescent layer, such as a layer that includes a phosphor. The electroluminescent layer may be disposed within a laminar assembly including a pair of flanking conductive layers separated by a dielectric layer and the phosphor. The conductive layers may function as electrodes, such that application of an alternating current to the electrodes places the phosphor in an alternating electric field, causing the phosphor to emit light by electroluminescence.
An electroluminescent sign may be fabricated to emit light regionally according to the luminescent image to be presented. For example, a conductive material may be applied regionally during fabrication of the sign, to produce a patterned electrode. Upon electrical energization of the patterned electrode (and a spaced partner electrode), a phosphor between the electrodes may be excited regionally to emit a corresponding pattern of electroluminescence.
Fabrication of electroluminescent signs may be costly and/or time-consuming. For example, a conductive and/or luminescent layer of the sign may be formed regionally by patterned application using one or a set of custom-made print screens. This process may be relatively slow and may have a cost per sign that is inversely related to the number of electroluminescent signs produced with the screens. Accordingly, custom electroluminescent signs may be prohibitively expensive to produce in small numbers. Furthermore, the pattern of light emitted by each electroluminescent sign may be difficult to modify after its fabrication.